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kẻ

Level ≈A1 (approx.) nounverb Top 1,000 most common
Hanoi [kɛ˧˩]Huế [kɛ˧˨]Saigon [kɛ˨˩˦] browser voice
Syllables · tones
kẻdippinghỏi

Each syllable carries one of six tones; the mark on the vowel tells you which. How the six tones sound →

kẻ means individual; person; man.

Meanings of kẻ in English

Noun

  1. derogatory individual, person, man; specifically, put before a verb/adjective to mean a specific type of people
    • kẻ ám sátassassin
    • kẻ giết ngườimurderer
  2. archaic, informal Indicates a country or a region

Verb

  1. to draw a line

Words with kẻ

kẻ chợkẻ thùkẻ cả

Example sentences with kẻ

  • Gã đó là kẻ chuyên phá đám. That guy is a party spoiler.
  • Bạn cũng là một kẻ thất bại. You're a loser, too.
  • Tom là kẻ đã giết chết Mary. Tom is the person who killed Mary.
  • Hãy đối tốt với kẻ ghét mình. Do good to those who hate you.
  • Đừng hành xử như kẻ ngốc nữa. Stop acting like such a fool.
  • Những kẻ ngốc không muốn hoà bình. These idiots don't want peace.
  • Tom là một kẻ ái kỷ. Tom is a narcissist.
  • Kẻ giàu là kẻ vẽ luật. The rich make the laws.

Bilingual example sentences from Tatoeba (tatoeba.org, CC BY 2.0 FR).

Historical script (chữ Nôm / Hán)

Before the Latin alphabet (chữ Quốc ngữ) became standard, kẻ could be written as 仉, 几, 古, 計. Today Vietnamese is written only in the Latin alphabet.

Etymology

Cognate with Muong ké. Compare Mon ကေဟ် (“to write with a stylus”).

Frequently asked questions

What does kẻ mean in English?

kẻ (noun) means "individual; person; man".

How do you pronounce kẻ?

IPA: Hanoi [kɛ˧˩]; Saigon [kɛ˨˩˦]. Tones: kẻ — dipping tone (hỏi).

Meanings, pronunciation and etymology from English Wiktionary (wiktionary.org, via kaikki.org; CC BY-SA 4.0), reviewed and edited; example sentences from Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR). IPA shown for three accents: Hanoi (Northern), Huế (Central) and Saigon (Southern). The Listen button uses your browser's Vietnamese voice, for reference only. Levels are approximate, estimated from word frequency. Spotted a mistake? Let NgonNgu know.